Legal Writing Institute
Encyclopedia
The Legal Writing Institute is "a non-profit organization dedicated to improving legal writing by providing a forum for discussion and scholarship about legal writing, analysis, and research." LWI maintains several resources for its members including a national conference held every two years, annual surveys, a database of teaching materials, and committee projects. The LWI also supports conferences in other countries and conferences in specialty topics such as rhetoric and legal storytelling.
More than 600 persons attended the 2010 LWI Conference at the Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, FL. The 2012 Conference will be held at the Marriot Desert Springs Resort, Desert Springs, California.
The Third Applied Legal Storytelling Conference, co-sponsored by LWI and the Clinical Legal Education Association, was held in July, 2011 in Denver, CO. The Fourth Applied Legal Storytelling Conference will be held in July, 2013 in London, England.
The LWI was previously housed at Seattle University School of Law and is presently housed at Mercer University School of Law. It has more than 2,600 members around the world, including attorneys, judges, and legal writing professors in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
The LWI was established as an offshoot of the first conference concerning Legal Writing in law schools held at the University of Puget Sound
in 1984. The conference was partially funded by money left over from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant procured by Christopher Rideout who was an English Professor at the University of Puget Sound. Laurel Currie Oates, who was a Professor of Legal Writing at the University of Puget Sound, helped organize this initial conference that 108 writing professionals attended. The concept of LWI reached fruition in 1985 when the Association of American Law Schools held a conference in Chicago
and brought together numerous leaders in the legal writing field.
The LWI was incorporated in 1986. LWI is managed by an elected Board of Directors. The earliest Boards of Directors were composed of individuals who maintained a long-term commitment to the field of legal writing. The founding individuals included: Ralph Brill
, Susan Brody, Anne Enquist, George Gopen, Laurel Currie Oates, Teresa Godwin Phelps, Chris Rideout, Helene Shapo, and Chris Wren.
Board members are elected for four-year terms. Board members are elected by the membership of the LWI. The LWI board elects its officers, including President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Additional information about the LWI is available on its website.
Kenneth D. Chestek (President)
Clinical Professor of Law
Indiana University School of Law--Indianapolis
Melissa H. Weresh (President Elect)
Professor of Law
Director of Legal Writing
Drake University Law School
Ruth Anne Robbins (Immediate Past President)
Clinical Professor of Law
Rutgers School of Law-Camden
Jen Sheppard (host school director)
Professor of Law
Mercer University School of Law
Rachel Croskery-Roberts (Secretary)
Associate Director of Lawyering Process
University of Michigan School of Law
Michael J. Higdon (Treasurer)
Associate Professor
University of Tennessee College of Law
Robin Boyle
Professor of Legal Writing
Coordinator of Academic Support Program
Assistant Director of Writing Center
St. John's University School of Law
Alison Julien
Associate Professor of Law
Marquette University School of Law
Lisa McElroy
Associate Professor of Law
Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University
Tracy L. McGaugh
Associate Professor, Legal Process
Touro Law Center
Laurel Currie Oates
Professor of Law and Director of Legal Writing
Seattle University School of Law
Suzanne Rabe
Director of Legal Writing and Clinical Professor of Law
University of Arizona School of Law
Joan Rocklin
Legal Research and Writing Lecturer
University of Oregon School of Law
David I.C. Thomson
Professor and Director Lawyering Practice
University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
Mark E. Wojcik
Professor of Law
The John Marshall Law School—Chicago
More than 600 persons attended the 2010 LWI Conference at the Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, FL. The 2012 Conference will be held at the Marriot Desert Springs Resort, Desert Springs, California.
The Third Applied Legal Storytelling Conference, co-sponsored by LWI and the Clinical Legal Education Association, was held in July, 2011 in Denver, CO. The Fourth Applied Legal Storytelling Conference will be held in July, 2013 in London, England.
The LWI was previously housed at Seattle University School of Law and is presently housed at Mercer University School of Law. It has more than 2,600 members around the world, including attorneys, judges, and legal writing professors in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
The LWI was established as an offshoot of the first conference concerning Legal Writing in law schools held at the University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
in 1984. The conference was partially funded by money left over from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant procured by Christopher Rideout who was an English Professor at the University of Puget Sound. Laurel Currie Oates, who was a Professor of Legal Writing at the University of Puget Sound, helped organize this initial conference that 108 writing professionals attended. The concept of LWI reached fruition in 1985 when the Association of American Law Schools held a conference in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and brought together numerous leaders in the legal writing field.
The LWI was incorporated in 1986. LWI is managed by an elected Board of Directors. The earliest Boards of Directors were composed of individuals who maintained a long-term commitment to the field of legal writing. The founding individuals included: Ralph Brill
Ralph Brill
Ralph L. Brill is Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.-Early life:Brill was born in Chicago, the son of Romanian immigrants. He attended the University of Illinois, where he received both his undergraduate degree and his Juris Doctor. While in law school, Brill served as associate...
, Susan Brody, Anne Enquist, George Gopen, Laurel Currie Oates, Teresa Godwin Phelps, Chris Rideout, Helene Shapo, and Chris Wren.
Board members are elected for four-year terms. Board members are elected by the membership of the LWI. The LWI board elects its officers, including President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Additional information about the LWI is available on its website.
Board of Directors
:Kenneth D. Chestek (President)
Clinical Professor of Law
Indiana University School of Law--Indianapolis
Melissa H. Weresh (President Elect)
Professor of Law
Director of Legal Writing
Drake University Law School
Ruth Anne Robbins (Immediate Past President)
Clinical Professor of Law
Rutgers School of Law-Camden
Jen Sheppard (host school director)
Professor of Law
Mercer University School of Law
Rachel Croskery-Roberts (Secretary)
Associate Director of Lawyering Process
University of Michigan School of Law
Michael J. Higdon (Treasurer)
Associate Professor
University of Tennessee College of Law
Robin Boyle
Professor of Legal Writing
Coordinator of Academic Support Program
Assistant Director of Writing Center
St. John's University School of Law
Alison Julien
Associate Professor of Law
Marquette University School of Law
Lisa McElroy
Associate Professor of Law
Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University
Tracy L. McGaugh
Associate Professor, Legal Process
Touro Law Center
Laurel Currie Oates
Professor of Law and Director of Legal Writing
Seattle University School of Law
Suzanne Rabe
Director of Legal Writing and Clinical Professor of Law
University of Arizona School of Law
Joan Rocklin
Legal Research and Writing Lecturer
University of Oregon School of Law
David I.C. Thomson
Professor and Director Lawyering Practice
University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
Mark E. Wojcik
Professor of Law
The John Marshall Law School—Chicago